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Spiders, Spiders, everywhere! A must-read for arachnophobes.

Spiders, Spiders, everywhere! Spider season is a time of year that many arachnophobes dread as we discover (what can seem) huge spiders in our home. How do they get in? And why do they arrive at the end of Summer?

Usually house spiders reside in their webs during the Summer months – so you will most commonly find them in sheds and garages. However, from September the male species goes on the hunt for a mate which means a trek indoors with spider season lasting from mid-September to mid-October.

There is nothing to fear from house spiders which are actually harmless and are a brilliant addition to our garden and indeed our ecosystem. However, if faced with a huge spider in your living room it’s hard to remember that. So what can you do to protect your home from Spiders?

  • Keep your house clean and tidy. Spiders like to hide so give them fewer places to discover.
  • Keep windows and doors shut (Spiders are adept at finding a way in though)
  • Limit their food source – be sure to clear the home of any small crawling insects or dead flies.
  • Remove any noticeable webs and when hoovering be sure to vacuum hidden spots….that’s right it’s time to move that sofa. Be sure to vacuum under cupboards too.

Of course you can try all of these things and resilient and determined spiders will still find their way indoors. As we have said previously spiders are an integral part of our ecosystem and so to exterminate them shouldn’t be an option. The Spider Catcher from Brainstorm is an eco-friendly way to rid your home of spiders and other insects quickly and humanely – it’s so gentle it can even remove moths. What’s more thanks to the long handle you don’t have to get too close. Simply squeeze the handle’s trigger to open the bristles and scoop up your uninvited guest. Once the bristles close around the insect you can safely release the spider back outside by pressing the handle again…..and say goodbye for now!

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Dinosaur Toys and their STEM potential

Have you ever met a child who doesn’t like dinosaurs? Young or old, boy or girl, prehistoric creatures have always held a fascination for children and adults alike. Parents are often taken aback by their child’s encyclopaedic knowledge of dinosaur breeds, habitats and behaviours…if only they would spend as much time learning their spellings? This thirst for dinosaur knowledge is a great way to teach children by stealth about lots of other subjects. Subjects that we bet they would show little or no interest in should you ask them.

Buy your child a book about geology and you would no doubt have an extra book to take on your next visit to the charity shop, but ask them about fossils or where dinosaur bones were discovered and you will be inundated with facts. Not only do they teach about geology but children can learn about lots of science subjects from dinosaurs including evolution. It’s not just products that children are interested in; dinosaur museum exhibitions continue to be some of the most popular attractions in the UK. The Natural History Museum alone welcomes 3.5 million visitors annually – Dippy the Dinosaur is even on tour! We are proud to collaborate with this famous attraction and our NHM Dino torches allow children to take what they experience on their cultural visits back home with them. The torches are a perfect product for brushing up on lots of prehistoric creatures.

Dinosaurs are also a great way to expand their imagination – anyone who has seen any of the Jurassic World films will understand how creativity can bring such awe-inspiring beasts back to life. The new addition to our StikBot Dino range is testament to this – one of the most popular SKUs in the range almost immediately after launch.

At Brainstorm we are huge fans of toys that educate and our own brand Brainstorm Toys reflect this. We have a number of dinosaur products and each one is ultimately designed to give a child lots of fun and enjoyment but we hope that they take away extra pieces of new information that will then stay with them a lifetime. And if by playing with one of our toys they are then inspired to go on to learn even more? That’s when we love what we do!

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StikBot Dinos have arrived!

Stikbot Dino

The latest addition to the award-winning StikBot range has arrived in UK stores – enter the StikBot Dino! We are huge Dino fans here at Brainstorm and when you combine these with the flexibility and easily poseable StikBots then you are onto a winner. The StikBot Dinos are available as three different Mega Dinosaurs, bigger than any StiKBots in the UK and Mini Dinosaurs supplied in a Dino egg with information leaflet. Check out more as published in the Toy Press.

See news piece here by Toy World

See here article by Toy News